Better off Off Screen
by natshiranui
Summary: I was always on my phone. Coming from the boring countryside, my phone was my best friend as I used to thought that all the interesting things are on screen and on the internet. I who's usually looking down on her phone finally looked up and saw a pair of hazel brown eyes and the lights from the streets of Ikebukuro. I guess there are some things that are better off off screen.
1. Chapter 1 - Welcome to Ikebukuro!

"Ugh. Remind me why am I here again?" I couldn't help asking myself as I took a step forward to the outside world and onto the cold platform floors.

The rattling echoes of the bullet train that already departed for its next journey after dropping off its passengers lingers in the background. I continued looking at the silhouette of the train before it completely vanished from my line of sight. A sigh escaped from my mouth.

My heterochromatic eyes travel around – searching for something that could actually be of use to me. I caught sight of a signboard. The words "This way to Ikebukuro" were clearly carved on it. Next to the said sentence was an arrow directing towards the staircase. Well, it obviously wants me to go up. Guess I better get to it then. I slowly pull my luggage with me and then carefully carry it up the stairs. I don't want my things damaged on the first day I arrived here.

Yes, you had guessed correctly. It's my first day and also my very first time stepping foot on the bustling grounds of Ikebukuro City. Before this, I was just your average country bumpkin from a small town located in Akita. Thanks to my aunt though, I somehow ended up here in this metropolis. I was being sarcastic actually. No, I do not enjoy the idea of moving from my peaceful Akita to this noisy wormhole called Tokyo – or to be frank, Ikebukuro. I know I'm being a spoiled brat here, but hey, you'll rant too if you're in my shoes.

Let me first explain to you, ladies and gentlemen about why am I so pissed off. Let's start with who I am exactly. I am Suiren Shiratori. I'm a third year student in high school. I was supposed to move here – to Ikebukuro with my aunt who got transferred here because of her job as a police officer.

Now then, moving on to the ridiculous parts of the story – my aunt told me to go on ahead and have a look of our brand new house. I begged her to let me follow her with the moving caravans but knowing my aunt, her decision – which never was rational, I must say – was final. So here I am wondering alone on the streets of Ikebukuro like a madman, pulling my heavy luggage around with me because my aunt forgot to give me the damn home's address. I tried calling her and you know what? Her mobile was turned off.

I am not always a sour grump. I have a calm nature actually but today was an exception. If I happen to see my aunt, I am so going to give her a taste of my wrath. But then again, the chances of me ever meeting her in this huge city are like ten in a million. I let out a sigh again.

This is not what I signed up for.

Well, no use depressing over this matter. I might as well continue my aimless wanderings around the city streets. Who knows, right? I might find something interesting along the way. There's no harm in giving this city at least a tiny chance.

About nearly an hour filled with shrieks, flying vending machine and stop sign later. I regretted the words of which I have said earlier. I so did not sign up for this. And the so called thoughts of giving Ikebukuro a chance – are immediately dispose of.

Aunt Yoko, what did I do to deserve this?


	2. Chapter 2-The Beginning of a Hectic Life

CHAPTER 2: THE BEGINNING OF A HECTIC LIFESTYLE

After walking about for quite some time – I have to admit, the streets of Ikebukuro are quite interesting indeed. I saw rows and rows of clothing shops selling a wide range of branded wears, a scene quite rare in my hometown. Next, I spotted a few manga cafés in the area. I think I may enjoy my time here considering I am fan of anime and manga. I looked at my watch. Fifteen minutes to one o'clock in the afternoon. I recalled I reached the train station at exactly noon. It's almost been an hour then since I had arrived here and my aunt still hasn't contacted me. I sighed. What in blazers is she doing?

I shook my head. No. I shouldn't get so hung up in this matter. She'll call me when she reaches… right? I shook my head again before giving myself a soft slap on the face. Stop it, Ren. Just keep calm and relax. I stared at the manga café in front of me.

How odd. How did I get to the entrance of the café? I thought I was standing near the corner of that building over there. Was I in a trance or something? Or did someone accidentally push me? Nevertheless, I went inside the manga café anyway as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

Inside the café, I was pretty amazed. There were tons of manga books all arrange on the display racks in uniformed orders. "Huh. Will you look at that?" I wondered while scanning the manga books titles per titles – picking them up and gently putting them back down after I finished browsing through them.

"I might as well spend my time here I guess", I stated as my right hand reaches for a manga on one of the higher shelf. I reached out for the manga while at the same time trying my best to balance myself as I stand on the tips of my toes. I was barely there to reaching the manga until some random person easily snatched it away right in my very face. Well, that clicked a switch inside me.

I turn around to face that inconsiderate person – ready to yell his or her head off, when suddenly a hand offers me the manga. I blinked a few times before forcing myself to look up to the owner of the hand. It was a girl. She wears a black hat and matching dress with a long skirt. She has two bangs that placed themselves neatly on both sides of her head, reaching to her chin. If I look closely, her eyes are dark brown in colour – the same as her hair.

"This…" her voice trailing off, "This is yours, right?" she finishes her sentence first before showing me a warm smile. I nodded. I'm not sure whether to answer her or not. She is a stranger. So I did the most polite way of answering someone – a nod.

"Vampire Knights eh? Good choice! Here you go then!" she said while gently shoving the manga into the palms of my hands.

I grabbed hold of it before it could slip down and fall. My eyes scrolled down and focused on the given manga book that I was now holding firmly and then they made their way back up to the female's facial and carefully observed it.

"Um…" I wanted to say something but my voice was starting to trail off.

The hatted girl cocked her head to the side. "Hmm… what is it?" she asked me.

"Thank you…" I managed to mutter though I'm not sure whether she could hear me or not. It was sort of a bit squeaky. I never noticed that I could be so nervous in front of strangers.

The girl smiled and said "you're welcome, kiddo", before she heard the voice of someone calling out her name in the distance.

I looked in the direction of where the voice came from and saw a scrawny looking guy carrying two large plastic bags filled with nothing but manga books.

"Oi, Erika!" the man called out to the hatted girl. The girl nodded to the guy while yelling back to him an "Okay". Erika shifted her hat and was about to make her way towards the guy who called out to her before she suddenly stopped and turned around, facing me.

"You're new here, aren't you?" she asked. I just replied her with a quick nod. "Heh, I see. No wonder", she added while scanning me from top to bottom as if I'm some sort of weird alien or something.

"Is there something off about me?" I asked the now intrigued Erika.

Erika shook her head. "Nah, it's just that I've never seen you around in these parts before".

"Oh? Like you're supposed to know everyone in Ikebukuro", I couldn't help myself from raising an eyebrow.

Erika let out a soft laugh. "If you're Walter and I who've spent half of their lives in manga and anime shops, then you'll know the regular faces here", she answered.

Walker? Who's that? Some foreigner she knows?

As if reading my mind Erika replied "Oh, Walker was the guy who called out to me just now. You know the blondie with small eyes", Erika snickered at her own comment about her friend.

"Oi, Erika! Are you done yet?" I heard Walker yelled out from the front counter, "You know the special episode for Naruto is going to start showing soon! I want to get home quickly to catch it!"

"Yeah, I get!" Erika shouted back to Walker. "Better get going then, kiddo. Walker seriously love his Naruto", Erika told me while shifting her hat for the second time, "I guess I'll see you around".

With that, Erika bowed slightly then makes her way to the counter. I stood there a while, watching the odd girl I just met named Erika as she paid for her stuff with Walker until they exited the shop and completely out of view.

I focused my attention to the manga book with the title Vampire Knights neatly printed on the cover of it. To be honest, I haven't read the manga yet. A friend from my hometown suggested it to me but I have my doubts about it.

"She said it was a good choice, didn't she…?" I mutter to myself. Before I realized it, I was already at the front counter paying for the manga book.

I could hear the echo of the lady from the counter saying "come again" behind me as I exited the shop. Now what? I asked myself as I stared at my phone. No missed calls or a text or anything.

I found a bench nearby and practically slumped myself on it. I'm tired. I'm not used to the city air. It's too crowded that there's barely enough oxygen for me to inhale. I stared at my phone again. I don't know how many times had it been that I've pulled out my phone and stared blankly at it. I can sense people on the street looking weirdly at me because I kept checking my phone every three seconds.

Okay, Ren. One more time. Please God, let there at least be a text from my aunt. I opened my phone and search for the recent notifications. The screen of my flip phone blinked and the "you have one message" text is displayed on it. Have the heavens finally heard my desperate plea?

I took a deep breathe first before clicking the message icon on my phone. This had got to be the most sweat-dropping thing I ever did – hands down.

As I went through my email I realized that the message I got was just a spam mail and NOT AUNT YOKO. I quickly deleted the spam and let out a heavy sigh.

The heavens did not hear my plea or maybe they pretended to not to hear me. I'm not really that religious to begin with and I usually just throw an offering of 100 yen every time I prayed at the temple.

Aunt Yoko, where are you? Why haven't you called? I pulled my knees together and rested my head on it. I then let out a sigh again.

"That's some sigh you got there, miss", I jolted up as an unfamiliar voice suddenly greeted me.

I pulled my face away from my knees and looked upwards. A man with jet black messy hair and hazel coloured eyes was staring down at me. The man was skinny and wore a fur jacket despite the city's hot atmosphere. He had a smirked on his face.

"Who are y-", before I could finished my sentence the man cuts me off.

"Izaya Orihara – at your service", he said and bowed with a little twirl. "I know who you are so you can cut the introduction", he added with a smirk.


End file.
